Hoi Aan is one of the most tourist-focused cities in Vietnam, and with good reason because, in addition to its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city has everything to attract tourists: charming restaurants and narrow streets, exceptional local cuisine, and idyllic beaches. Hoi An will also charm lovers of ancient ruins, who will enjoy discovering the remains of the Cham city of My Son.

Fall under the spell of Hoi An and the surrounding area

Dien Bien Phu is the capital of the province with the same name. It was the location of a battle which took place in Tonkin from 20 November 1953 to 7 May 1954 against the French Union forces. It is considered to be the place of victory for national liberation.

Dien Bien Phu and its history

The town of Sapa is located at the summit of a hill, at 1,600 metres of altitude. It is surrounded by beautiful scenery and sits above the Muong Hoa valley, where it is dominated by the famous Fansipan at 3,143 metres. An obligatory stopover during your tour of Vietnam.

Sapa and its surroundings

I'd like to give an insight into&nbsp;Hué, a tourist town that was once an imperial city and is famous throughout the country for its food! But what tourists often don't realise is that there are numerous wonderful sites just a few kilometres from this town that are seldom visited but are nonetheless authentic and magnificent&nbsp;

Hué and the riches of its surroundings

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Someone talks about Vietnam and you automatically think of spring rolls, pointed hats or shoulder yokes, those large sections of bamboo and their two suspended woven baskets. Our collective imagination has been flooded with these images... But do they correspond to the current reality of Vietnam? Even if they are not all representative of life in the cities, they still subsist in the countryside... However, Vietnam cannot be summarized by these few clichés. Its people have come far with a particularly turbulent 21st century. The country is now decidedly turned towards the future: Vietnam changes and evolves. The former children of the “boat-people” are returning to Saigon to fulfil their dreams and seek success. Hanoi has opened superb art galleries... For many, Vietnam consists of mountains and plateaus, Vietnam is marked by two major waterways, the Red River to the north, and the mother of all rivers, the Mekong to the south. Between equatorial plains, temperate plateaus and high summits, you will be awestruck by the tender green rice paddies, the canyons of Red River and the superb Mekong Delta.... And if beyond its people and nature you still need a reason to visit Vietnam, let’s mention gastronomy! Vietnamese cooking is one of the most renowned worldwide, light and refined by the same token: spring rolls of course, but also Pho, Cha cà, Oc nhoi and other delicious meals...

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Lào Cai

Bac Ha is a village in northern Vietnam, a quiet and peaceful village except on Sunday mornings, which is market day, attracting all the ethnic minorities to the area.

Bắc Hà

Sapa

Vallée Muong Hoa

About 100 km from Ho Chi Minh, Tay Ninh is the centre of an interesting religion called Cao Daism.

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I went to Tay Ninh when I left Ho Chi Minh to explore this original and little known religion. It was a unique part of my <a href="/vietnam/">trip to Vietnam</a>. When I got to the temple I found a sort of ultra kitsch cathedral-pagoda. It looked a bit like a Walt Disney castle for a princess. The interior was even more original. The colours are incredibly bright and there are dragons around the columns. The main sculpture and the most venerated object is an enormous blue ball decorated with the divine eye. There are also statues of Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, Lao-Tseu... The religion was created in the 1920s by Ngô Vân Chiêu. Cao Daism is a mix of the best of Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Islam. Even stranger, its followers hold seances. Amongst others, they venerate Victor Hugo, Joan of Arc, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare and Lenin, with whom they have regular contact! But quiet! The ceremony is beginning. The women sit on the left, the men on the right, and they are all dressed in immaculate white. The prayers are accompanied by musicians. The priests wear different colours according to their beliefs. Red for Confucians, blue for Taoists and yellow for Buddhists. I didn't entirely understand what was going on but the ceremony seems to be very regulated and it was very interesting to take part.

About 100 km from Ho Chi Minh, Tay Ninh is the centre of an interesting religion called Cao Daism.

Tây Ninh Vacations

Tây Ninh: How to get there?

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